The Rejects
by Nowhereland
Summary: re·ject, noun, 1. a person or thing dismissed as failing to meet standards or satisfy tastes.
1. Allegiances

_**allegiances**_

 _ShadowClan_

Leader

 **Eaglestar** \- serious red tabby tom with yellow eyes

Deputy

 **Coppereyes** \- tortoiseshell she-cat with copper eyes

Medicine Cat

 **Shadetalon** \- blue-pelted tom with dark blue eyes

 **Apprentice, Swanpaw**

Warriors

 **Swiftbrook** \- creamy calico she-cat with blue eyes

 **Bearwaters** \- cinnamon tabby tom with hazel eyes, mate of Newtsnout

 **Willowstem** \- chocolate lynx point she-cat with blue eyes

 **Aspenswirl** \- golden tabby tom with sea-green eyes

 **Newtsnout** \- cinnamon tabby she-cat with green eyes, mate of Bearwaters, mother of Swanpaw, Daisypaw and Robinpaw

 **Beetlesun** \- blue smoke tom with green eyes

 **Vinejump** \- blue tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 **Apprentice, Daisypaw**

 **Stormshade** \- cinnamon tom with olive green eyes

 **Birdsoar** \- fawn tabby she-cat with gold eyes

 **Apprentice, Robinpaw**

 **Rubblefire** \- silver chinchilla tom with green eyes, mate of Emberpoppy

 **Amberwaters** \- chocolate tabby she-cat with green eyes

 **Pricklefoot** \- very dark brown tabby tom with green-yellow eyes, mate of Quailcreek

 **Littlepetal** \- blue-silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentices

 **Swanpaw** \- cream cameo she-cat with hazel eyes

 **Daisypaw** \- ruddy brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

 **Robinpaw** \- light cinnamon tabby tom with hazel eyes

Queens

 **Emberpoppy** \- golden cinnamon tabby she-cat with light green eyes, mate of Rubblefire, mother of Sparrowkit, Jaykit and Rabbitkit

 **Quailcreek** \- blue smoke she-cat with hazel eyes, mate of Pricklefoot

Kits

 **Sparrowkit** \- cinnamon and white tabby she-kit with blue eyes

 **Jaykit** \- blue tabby tom with yellow-green eyes

 **Rabbitkit** \- silver chinchilla tabby tom with blue eyes

Elders

 **Frogsight** \- brown and white tabby tom with gold eyes

 **Snowpetal** \- torbie she-cat with green eyes


	2. Chapter 1

_Moon of the Daffodils - April 7, 2062 - Sunup_

Rabbitkit was born at dawn.

The sun had barely risen. Golden-red rays of light were shining through the trees. Birds were singing and the forest was awakening. Drops of dew rested on leaves after a light rain in the night. A frog croaked and leapt away from the light deftly, landing in the shadows. Half-melted snow lay in small piles here and there. The ground was wet from the rain. Peace lay upon the forest for a while, until-

Something was screaming.

A golden-brown she-cat was yowling as ripples of pain ran down her swollen stomach. Her cries woke the blue smoke cat next to her with a start.

"Emberpoppy? What- your kits are coming, aren't they?" The she-cat ran out of the den without waiting for an answer. She stumbled into the medicine cat den, conveniently located right next to the nursery.

A blue-pelted tom blinked blearily at the intruder. "Q-Quailcreek? What's going on?" The smaller cream she-cat next to him stirred, yawning.

"Emberpoppy's kits are coming," Quailcreek mewed urgently. At that, the cats jumped up, the sleepiness falling away from them in a heartbeat.

"Swanpaw, go get Rubblefire and tell him that his mate's kits are coming. _Now!_ " His apprentice nodded and dashed out of the den. The medicine cat quickly gathered the herbs needed and ran out as well, Quailcreek following.

Emberpoppy was lying on her side, panting and whimpering pitifully. Her paws twitched occasionally, and she trembled violently as her belly convulsed.

"Don't worry, Emberpoppy! Shadetalon's here!" Quailcreek placed herself a tail-length away so she could give the she-cat space and be close enough to help if it was needed.

"I need you to push on the count of three," Shadetalon told the queen. "Can you do that for me?" She nodded slightly, mind still wracked with pain. "Good. Now, one- two- _three!_ "

The she-cat yowled as she pushed with all her might. Her claws dug into the ground, leaving deep gouges as the first kit slipped out. Shadetalon quickly nipped the kitting sac and licked it furiously to get it warm and breathing, then pushed it to Emberpoppy's belly to start suckling.

"It's a she-kit!" Quailcreek announced. Emberpoppy let out a shaky breath in response.

Just then, Rubblefire burst into the nursery with Swanpaw following. "Is she alright?" he demanded, his silver coat bristling. His green eyes widened as he saw the kit at her belly.

"She will be," Shadetalon mewed testily. "If you could step out of the nursery to give her more space, that would be appreciated. We'll alert you when she's done kitting." Rubblefire nodded hesitantly, giving one last look at his mate and kit before leaving the nursery to pace back and forth outside.

Emberpoppy wailed as she felt another kit coming. Shadetalon quickly turned his attention back to her. "Two more, you can do this. One- two- _three!_ " She pushed again as another kit slid out. Quailcreek quickly started licking the kit, disposing of the sac.

"A tom," Swanpaw said softly. The kitting queen nodded, but she barely got a look at her son before her stomach clenched one more time.

"One- two-" But this time Emberpoppy pushed earlier, and the kit came out just as Shadetalon was saying 'three'. Swanpaw took care of it, licking the kit swiftly.

The queen breathed shakily, then sighed in relief as the pain faded. "It's over."

"Yes," the medicine cat agreed. He turned to the opening of the den. "Rubblefire, you can come in now. Let's go, Swanpaw." His apprentice nodded and followed him as they left.

There was a pause.

Rubblefire dashed into the den, nearly ramming into Quailcreek. The queen gave him a stern look before leaving the nursery as well.

"H-How are you feeling?" The tom shifted his paws and stared at the kits- _his_ kits- in wonder. There were three kits- two toms and a she-kit. The she-kit was a cinnamon and white tabby, nestled firmly against her mother. The next one, a tom, was a blue tabby with milk coating the fur around his mouth, fast asleep. The last one- he gasped slightly. The silver tom looked almost exactly like Rubblefire.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Emberpoppy's voice was weak, but it was filled with pride and love as she gazed with tired green eyes at her kits.

"Yes," the tom agreed, shifting his gaze to his mate. She was as beautiful as ever, even exhausted and weary. "What should their names be?"

"I was thinking Lilykit for the she-kit, maybe? Or Sparrowkit." The queen stroked the kit softly with her tail.

"Sparrowkit sounds right to me," Rubblefire mewed. He gazed at his daughter lovingly. "For the tom in the middle...Jaykit, perhaps?"

"My little Jaykit," she purred, looking down at the tiny tom. "And what of the last one? He looks so much like you. I'd say...Rabbitkit."

"That's perfect!" Rubblefire smiled gently and licked his mate's cheek. "Perfect names for our perfect kits."

Emberpoppy let out a mrrow of amusement. "Mouse-brain."

"Lizard-brain."

"Fish-breath."

"Hey!"

Emberpoppy laughed again, purring. The three kits had fallen asleep, and she yawned as well.

"Get some sleep," Rubblefire told her. "I'll see you when you're well rested." He licked the top of her head before leaving, his paws tingling with excitement.

 _I'm a father now!_

* * *

 **This is NOBODY's first Warriors fanfiction! NOBODY hopes that you like the story, or at least are intrigued enough to keep up with it. NOBODY cannot promise that they will update on a schedule, but they will try to update as frequently as possible.**

 **Brought to you by NLCW News, broadcasting the lives of fictional animals and places.**


	3. Chapter 2

_Moon of the Daffodils - April 17, 2062 - Sunhigh_

His ears twitched slightly as he made the effort to open his eyes. Slowly but surely, the veil of black was lifted and he could see two blurry shapes in front of him, one light and one dark.

He blinked, trying to clear the fuzziness, but it stayed. He frowned, then yawned and snuggled up against the warm-soft-milk-giver.

For the first time, he saw that the milk-giver was a vibrant light-light-dark color.

He felt something move on his left. He remembered the two small-warm-soft-bodies that he had felt before. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the one on his left was light-dark-dark, and the one on his left-left had light and dark parts.

He looked down at himself. He was a pale-dark, like the milk-giver, but it was more muted, softer.

Something prodded him, and he hissed. He turned to his right and saw the bigger dark shape there. It came closer, and he could see ears and a head and a body like his own. Its mouth was moving. He was confused. What was that supposed to mean?

He was tired. He squirmed closer to his mother and closed his eyes as the dark veil was thrown over his vision again.

 _Moon of the Daffodils - April 24, 2062 - Sundown_

He woke up.

His vision had become clearer over the past seven sleep-cycles, but there was still a blurry element to it. He now knew that there was a small-warm-soft-body that was _blue_ , and another that was _cinnamon_ and _white_. He himself was _silver_. And the milk-giver was _golden_.

Today was different.

He opened his eyes and immediately knew that there was something strange. He could... he could _hear_. He _heard_ things outside of the safe-dark-place moving, speaking.

The small-warm-soft-bodies and the milk-giver stirred as well. The milk-giver yawned, then she looked at him and the soft-bodies.

"Oh! Their ears should be open!"

He was startled. He looked around and saw a blue cat. It was purring. He could hear it purring.

"I'll go get Rubblefire! He'll want to know!" It turned and left the safe-place.

He felt the soft-bodies shifting. He turned to stare at the cinnamon and white one. It stared back at him with blue eyes. The blue soft-body had blue eyes too. He had a sudden need to know what color his eyes were. He wondered if they were blue.

"Hello, kits. Can you hear me now?" The milk-giver's mouth was moving.

He was about to say 'yes, I can' when the cinnamon and white soft-body- kit?- chose to speak first. "Who are you?" it squeaked.

The milk-giver purred in amusement. "I am Emberpoppy, your mother."

 _Mother_...that sounded right. Mother. Milk-giver. Emberpoppy. He stared up at _Mother_ with fascination. Its- _her_ \- eyes were green.

The blue soft-body- no, _kit_ \- asked, "What's my name? And what are their names?"

"Your name is Jaykit, her name is Sparrowkit and he is Rabbitkit."

Rabbitkit.

Rabbitkit. He had a name now. Rabbitkit. He liked it. _Rabbitkit_.

Suddenly, another cat came into the safe-place. It was a silver tom. Like Rabbitkit. His eyes were green. He was followed by the blue cat from earlier. She smiled at him.

The silver tom almost fell over in his eagerness to greet them as he padded forward. "H-Hi, kits! My kits. Products of my-" He was cut off by a glare from Emberpoppy. "I mean- well, hello, kits! I'm Rubblefire, your father!"

Father. Rubblefire. He tilted his head and stared at Rubblefire. He looked a lot like Rabbitkit. Were his eyes green? He wanted to know.

"I'm Quailcreek," the blue cat added. "You're in the nursery. This is ShadowClan, the best Clan there is."

So the safe-place was the nursery. And he belonged to ShadowClan.

Suddenly overwhelmed with all of the new information, Rabbitkit stumbled a bit. He yawned, his vision blurring as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Rubblefire noticed this. "You should all get some rest. A cat is of no use to his Clan if he's halfway to StarClan because of sleepless nights." He smiled fondly, ruffling the top of Sparrowkit's head with his tail, and left.

Rabbitkit made a small noise and buried himself in Emberpoppy's soft fur. Closing his eyes, he visited the swirling darkness of his mind and fell asleep.

 _Moon of the Lilacs - May 8, 2062 - Sunrise_

Rabbitkit was awake as soon as the red rays of sun filtered through the nursery entrance. He quickly shook Jaykit, then Sparrowkit, until they had both opened their eyes. The kits' eyes were still blue; it would be another half-moon before they turned their permanent colors.

"Uhhg...what do you want, Rabbitkit?" Jaykit groaned, sitting up reluctantly. Sparrowkit yawned and stretched before standing as well.

"We get to go out of the nursery today! And we can have fresh-kill for the first time!"

This got his siblings' attention. They jumped up excitedly.

"I'm tired of boring old milk!" Sparrowkit announced. "Time to have some meat, like a _real_ cat!"

Their squeaks and movement woke Emberpoppy, who blinked, disgruntled, for a few seconds. She yawned and added, "A real cat would also be quieter in order not to wake the whole Clan up." The kits shrunk back, ashamed. She gazed at them before purring. "Today's a special day! I want all of you perfectly groomed before ShadowClan sees you." She grabbed Jaykit, ignoring his squeals of protest as she licked his fur.

Sparrowkit and Rabbitkit hid in the corner before they were found by Quailcreek, who had woken up. By the time she began grooming the cinnamon and white tabby, Emberpoppy had finished with Jaykit, whose fur was now smooth and clean. He squirmed out of his mother's grasp and escaped, while Rabbitkit was now under the golden-cinnamon she-cat's attack.

At last, they were all neat and tidy, and they were ready to meet the Clan.

The kits dashed out of the nursery, blinking at the brightness and _openness_ of it all.

There was a tunnel to their left, leading away from the camp. The apprentices' den was under a bramble thicket. A wall of trees sat between the apprentices' den and the warriors' den. The largest den in the Clan, it was also housed under a bramble thicket. Cats were streaming out of the entrance to meet with their friends and go on patrols. Another tunnel led to the outside world next to the warriors' den. A hollow was located to the left of the tunnel, where cats gathered, chatting and socializing. A tortoiseshell she-cat stood there, speaking with the cats. They seemed to listen to her. Rabbitkit saw Rubblefire, who winked and continued talking to a chocolate tabby she-cat.

The leader's den was to the left of the talking spot. As Rabbitkit watched, a red tabby tom emerged from it, stretched, and padded over to the hollow. The deputy's den seemed to be to the left of the leader's den. The second-largest one in ShadowClan, the elders' den was nestled between the deputy's den and the medicine cat's den. Two elderly cats were situated there, talking and eating fresh-kill. Rabbitkit didn't know why the den was so large when there seemed to be only two cats living there. The medicine cat's den was next to the nursery, and the fresh-kill pile was in the middle of the Clan.

Rabbitkit and his littermates ran to the fresh-kill pile first. "Wow!" the silver kit breathed. "It's so big!"

"And there are so many things to choose from!" Jaykit added, staring at a juicy vole.

Emberpoppy padded up to them. "Don't eat more than half a mouse," she warned. "Your stomachs can't hold more than that." Rabbitkit nodded, and standing on his hind feet, he reached up and retrieved a small frog. Jaykit chose to share a mouse with Sparrowkit.

Rabbitkit tentatively took a small bite. His blue eyes widened- it tasted amazing! Juice- blood?- dribbled from his mouth as he wolfed it down. It was tender, but just firm enough. The meat on the legs tasted the best to Rabbitkit. He finished the frog and almost fell over with the strange, _solid_ weight in his stomach. Jaykit and Sparrowkit weren't any better.

"See?" Emberpoppy shook her head. "You'll be fine, you just have to get used to it. Give it a few heartbeats."

Rubblefire came over from the talking spot. "Hey, kits! I see you're out for the first time. How're you liking ShadowClan so far?"

"I love it!" Sparrowkit squeaked. She fished out a bit of mouse stuck in her teeth before continuing. "It's so pretty, and I like the trees, and the fresh-kill tastes really good!"

Rubblefire nodded, his green eyes alight with affection and amusement. "How about you go over to the elders? They have really good stor-" But before he finished what he was saying, the three kits had already bounded over to the elder's den despite their full stomachs. He shook his head fondly.

 _I hope they grow up to be strong, capable warriors._

* * *

 **Thank you to hetaliamongul123 for reviewing!**

 **Special thanks to Kikyo Phantomhive for being an _awesome_ beta!**

 **Brought to you by NLCW News, broadcasting the lives of fictional animals and places.**


	4. Chapter 3

_Moon of the Roses - June 9, 2062 - Moonrise_

 _ThunderClan_

Springleaf gazed blankly at the three kits curled up close to her before her eyes softened, filled with love and affection. The brown-furred she-cat touched her nose to the one closest to her- the lilac tabby she-kit whose eyes were still closed as she kneaded at Springleaf. She looked up as her mate rushed into the nursery, startling the three other inhabitants of the nursery. Clovermist shot Skyshadow a glare before settling back in her nest, her two kits kept close to her.

The senior warrior looked slightly embarrassed before padding over to Springleaf. He touched his nose to the top of her head, then watched the three kits with wonder in his grey eyes.

"Wh-" Skyshadow's voice came out as a hoarse whisper. He coughed and tried again. "What shall we name them?"

Springleaf paused. She blinked her blue eyes once before replying, "Flowerkit for the chocolate tabby."

Skyshadow nodded, then studied the dark brown tabby tom-kit in the middle. He saw a swirling pattern on the kit's back, mesmerizing and soft. "Driftkit."

The queen purred- it was a soft, rumbling noise that reminded Skyshadow of distant thunder. "What of the she-kit that shares your attributes, her being a lilac tabby like you?"

The kit in question shifted as she stopped suckling, milk coating her mouth. She made a small noise- something in between a chirp and a coo. Then she settled down and fell asleep, her tiny flanks rising and falling. She was _so tiny_ , the size of a full-grown _mouse_ -

"Mousekit."

His mate nodded. He laid down next to her and the kits, his fluffy tail moving over Springleaf soothingly. Most cats ignored or teased Springleaf because of her expressionless facade and her strange, formal way of speaking. But those things were the reason why Skyshadow had been fascinated with her. He now knew that she was as interesting and emotional as any other cat. She just preferred to hide it. Springleaf's beauty made up for her unusual personality, with her bright blue eyes, her smooth, soft white fur, her dark ringed tail and her perfectly pointed ears.

He loved her so much.

 _Moon of the Roses - June 10, 2062 - Just before sunrise_

 _ShadowClan_

Rabbitkit was woken by someone yowling.

He opened his eyes, startled. He looked around wildly for the source of the noise, and his gaze quickly landed on Quailcreek, who was digging her claws into the ground. Emberpoppy, Sparrowkit and Jaykit were awake now, too. His brother's yellow-green eyes- only his eyes had changed color, while Rabbitkit and Sparrowkit still had blue eyes- were staring at Quailcreek with a mixture of horror and worry.

Emberpoppy calmly escorted her kits out of the nursery. "Quailcreek's kits are coming," she told them. "Stay out to give her more room." Then she dashed to the medicine cat den and fetched Shadetalon and Swanpaw, who rushed into the nursery with the necessary herbs.

Emberpoppy soon emerged, heading into the warriors den and coming out with a worried Pricklefoot, who waited at the nursery as Quailcreek's screeches became louder. The golden-cinnamon she-cat then went towards her kits.

Sparrowkit, Jaykit and Rabbitkit stood anxiously with their mother, three fox-lengths away from the nursery. A cold breeze drifted past, causing them to shiver, so Emberpoppy swept them closer with her tail. Other cats were starting to wake up, stretching and yawning as they padded out of their dens. They looked at the kits with a knowingly, gazed at the nursery for a heartbeat, and continued on with their duties.

Finally, Quailcreek quieted and two sharp wails pierced the Clan. Pricklefoot dashed into the nursery as Shadetalon and Swanpaw headed out, looking tired. The kits relaxed and made to go back in, but Emberpoppy held them back. "They're naming the kits," she told them. "We should give them some time. Come, let's get some fresh-kill." They nodded and followed her to the fresh-kill pile.

As Rabbitkit was picking at a mouse with Sparrowkit, he looked up to watch Pricklefoot leave the nursery with a euphoric look on his face. He quickly wolfed the rest of his share down and went towards the nursery with the rest of his family.

There were two tiny blue tabby kits suckling at Quailcreek's belly. Rabbitkit could smell that they were both she-kits. He stared at the little kits in wonder. How were they so small? Had he really been that tiny?

Quailcreek smiled tiredly at them. Her voice was weak as she spoke. "This is Softkit," she pointed with her tail at the one closer to her hind legs, "and this is Brightkit." She nudged the other kit with her nose softly.

"They're so tiny," Sparrowkit breathed, her blue eyes focused on the new kits.

Emberpoppy and Quailcreek purred with amusement. "You were the same size once," her mother told her.

Sparrowkit's eyes widened. "But that's impossible! They're so... _small_."

Emberpoppy shook her head, laughing. "Come on. Let's allow Quailcreek to recover." She left the nursery with her kits scampering after her.

* * *

 **Thank you to Hexindi-chan for reviewing!**

 **Thank you, thank you to Kikyo Phantomhive for being a wonderful beta!**

 **Brought to you by NLCW News, broadcasting the lives of fictional animals and places.**


	5. Chapter 4

_Moon of the Lilies - July 24, 2062 - Sunhigh_

 _ThunderClan_

Mousekit squeaked in surprise as she went out of the nursery for the first time. Her littermates, Driftkit and Flowerkit, bumped into her as they exited.

The outside world was so pretty! The sky was a lovely blue-violet hue, fluffy white clouds floating lazily across the vast expanse of color. A blindingly bright yellow-white orb was painted directly above, occasionally being covered by a passing cloud. The ground next to the nursery was bare and scuffed, but the grass started up again in the middle of the Clan. The medicine cat den was located between two rocks next to the nursery.

There was a jagged chunk of rock before Mousekit saw the apprentices' den. Next to that was the fresh-kill pile. A gaping tunnel led to the outside world. The elders' den had the huge trunk of a fallen tree next to it, separating it from the warriors' den. Then there was the Highrock, and the leader's den was a cave next to it. The cave next to the nursery had a stream flowing in it. Another fresh-kill pile rested on the rocks on top of the nursery.

"The camp is so big!" Mousekit gasped, taking it all in. Driftkit and Flowerkit were in the same state. Springleaf emerged from the nursery, gazing expressionlessly at her kits.

"You may want to move if you desire to consume fresh-kill," she told them. The kits snapped out of their dazed state and raced to the fresh-kill pile. Springleaf stared after them before going up to greet Skyshadow, who had come out of the warriors' den.

Ivykit and Weaselkit were already there. They looked up as Mousekit, Driftkit and Flowerkit arrived. Ivykit narrowed her eyes. "What are you three runts doing out of the nursery?"

"We-" Driftkit began, but Weaselkit interrupted.

"You don't even look old enough to open your eyes," he scoffed.

"Yeah," Ivykit growled. "You all still have your kit-eyes, unlike Weaselkit and I."

Mousekit frowned. It was true that they still had blue eyes, while Ivykit had green ones and Weaselkit's were amber. But that was only because they were one moon old. Ivykit and Weaselkit were five moons. They would be apprentices soon. "When _you_ were our age, you guys had kit-eyes too."

Weaselkit tilted his head. "Hm? Ivykit, did you hear anything? No? Because I thought I heard an annoying little fly buzzing."

Mousekit bristled at his words. "Fine. Ignore me, whatever. Come on, Driftkit, Flowerkit, let's get some fresh-kill." She made to drag two mice from the bottom of the pile when Ivykit's paw landed on them. She glared at the older kit, and tried to nudge her paw away from the mice. It didn't work.

Ivykit's green eyes had two narrow black slits in them as she bent her head closer to Mousekit's. The smaller kit stared icily back at her, her fur fluffed up. "Little runts should let their elders eat first," Ivykit hissed.

"Oh, yeah? You're not an elder, you're a kit!" Driftkit hissed back. Ivykit shot him a glowering look, and he backed down.

The light brown tabby turned her attention back to Mousekit. Still scowling at her, she took the two mice and dropped them by Weaselkit. The two older kits dug in, chewing every bite slowly and loudly as Driftkit, Mousekit, and even Flowerkit looked daggers at them. Driftkit huffed indignantly and he quickly snatched up a plump thrush, dragging it away to another spot. His sisters followed him.

They started eating their first piece of fresh-kill, wolfing it down faster when they discovered just how good it tasted. After they had finished, Driftkit licked his lips before declaring, "Ivykit and Weaselkit are just insufferable!"

"Insufferable?" Mousekit asked curiously. "What does that mean?"

"It means arrogant," he explained. "I learned it from Toadpaw when she was visiting. Anyways, they're only four moons older than us! Why are they so mean? It's not as if we've done anything to them."

"Maybe they're jealous that we're getting attention because we're younger," Flowerkit mewed softly.

Mousekit considered this, then nodded. "That's probably it. They just want everyone to pay attention to them."

Driftkit nodded. There was a brief pause before he stood up abruptly, his kit-blue eyes shining. "Forget about those stinky furballs. Let's explore! We can split up and go to different parts of camp, then come back at the end of the day and tell each other about what we saw!" Without waiting for a response, he sprinted off.

Mousekit and Flowerkit watched him go, bemused. The lilac tabby turned to her sister. "That's kind of a good idea. I'll see you at sundown, then?"

Flowerkit nodded. "Alright." She padded off.

Mousekit paused, wondering where she should go. The crevice between two rocks caught her eye. The medicine cat den! She'd always admired Leapbranch's ability to seemingly heal almost anything. Maybe she'd learn something about herbs from the brown tabby so that she could help heal cats, too!

She carefully went through the bramble tendrils and poked her head into the den. No one was there. She padded in, looking around. There were a few nests in the back, but it looked like only one was used. Clumps of herbs were stored in small holes along the sides. A large ball of moss was in one of the holes, and she resisted the urge to take it out and play with it. There was a pool of water in front of the nests, and she padded over and examined her reflection.

"Looking for something?" Mousekit jumped at the voice, startled. She looked over to the entrance to see a brown tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes there. The tip of her tail was twitching, and she was smiling at the kit's reaction. Leapbranch.

"N-No, not really. I was just looking around." The lilac tabby kit shifted her paws awkwardly, glancing at a strange-looking lump of rock.

It was silent for a few heartbeats before Leapbranch spoke again, her eyes alight with amusement. "Do you want me to show you around?"

Mousekit's heart leapt. "Yes!" she squeaked.

The medicine cat shook her head, still smiling, and headed to the back of the den. "This is where I sleep, as well as any sick cats that aren't well enough to sleep in the warriors' den." Mousekit nodded; that made sense. "The pool of water is there so that I or any cat can get a drink of water easily. It's connected to the stream, so I don't have to worry about replenishing it. Also, it's useful for soaking moss in it." She moved on to the small holes.

"I dig these holes to store herbs, as you can see. I put beech leaves on the bottom for easy removal, and then I put the herbs in. Look, there's a hole filled with beech leaves there."

"Do all Clans use beech leaves?" Mousekit asked. The beech leaves were large and broad with jagged edges.

"No, not all the Clans. Beech leaves grow mostly in any soil that doesn't have too much water. I've heard of ShadowClan medicine cats using ivy leaves to store herbs." Mousekit nodded again. Leapbranch smiled at her before continuing. "This right here is alder bark. You use it to treat tooth pain, and it makes your toothaches feel better. It grows in boggy, wet terrain, so I usually go near the lake to collect it. It grows best in RiverClan, so sometimes I go over there with their leader's permission to take some."

"You can do that?" Mousekit asked, eyes wide. You could be _allowed_ to go on another Clan's territory?

Leapbranch purred. "Yes, I can. I'm a medicine cat; I don't fight. I work only to help my Clanmates get better."

"Wow," the lilac tabby breathed. "That's so cool! But," she frowned. "what if there's an invasion by- by, I don't know, ShadowClan, and they attack you?"

"That's a very good question, Mousekit." The kit beamed, happy that Leapbranch liked her question. "All medicine cats receive basic battle training so that they can defend themselves if need be. We don't fight to kill, though. That's against the warrior code. I've heard that ShadowClan trains their medicine cats to fight like warriors. But here in ThunderClan, we just teach you enough to not die on the battlefield."

Mousekit nodded. "Okay."

"This is bindweed. It grows almost anywhere, and you use it to fasten sticks to broken legs to keep them in place. Those are blackberry leaves. They grow anywhere. You chew them into a pulp and apply them to bee stings so that they stop swelling. These are borage leaves, and they grow best in the forest. Nursing queens like your mother chew it and eat it to make better milk. It can also bring fevers down. This is burdock root…" And so they went on, Leapbranch teaching her about different herbs and their uses, Mousekit absorbing it all in. By the end of the day, her head was swimming with the images of herbs and information.

It was just after sundown by the time the kit stumbled out of the medicine cat den, dazed. Leapbranch followed her quietly. "So, Mousekit, can you tell me about catmint?"

"Um, it smells really good, and...it grows in- in- in Twoleg gardens! Right? You eat it and it cures...something-cough. Gr-Gray? Green-cough! Yeah, it cures green-cough, which kits and elders get in leaf-fall. Huh? Leaf-bare? Okay. It can also be used for white-cough!" Mousekit smiled proudly up at the medicine cat, who nodded.

"It's best to collect it late in the day, because the dew will be gone so it won't rot in the store. Catmint is _very_ valuable. Remember that." Leapbranch poked the top of the kit's head with her tail. "Now, it's time for you to sleep. Go on, you can visit me another day."

Mousekit nodded. "Bye, Leapbranch!" She bounded back towards the nursery, where her siblings and mother were waiting.

"You spent the whole day with _Leapbranch_?" Driftkit asked her incredulously. "There's nothing interesting about being a medicine cat! You just sit there and wait for cats to get hurt so that you can heal them. And you don't even get to fight!"

Mousekit scowled at him. "She's interesting and herbs are cool." Driftkit stared at her for a few more heartbeats before snorting and looking away.

"To what locations did you go?" Springleaf asked, herding the three kits into the nursery. She laid down on her nest, watching them.

"I went to the warriors den and talked with Skyshadow about awesome battle moves!" The dark brown tabby tom brought his front paw down hard on the ground. He then slashed his claws through the ground, leaving light scratches.

"You're not old enough to know about battle moves," Ivykit scoffed. Driftkit glared at her but didn't say anything.

"Stonepaw taught me the basics of how to hunt," Flowerkit said softly. Mousekit nodded. That sounded fun as well.

Driftkit stifled a yawn. "I'm tired, let's sleep." He bounded over to his mother and curled himself close to her. Flowerkit and Mousekit followed suit.

Mousekit closed her eyes and thought about all the herbs she had learned about today.

 _When I grow up, I wanna be a medicine cat!_

* * *

 **Thank you to Guest and Frost On Gentle Willow for reviewing!**

 **Thank you, Kikyo Phantomhive for being a wonderful beta!**

 **NOBODY apologizes for the late update. She hasn't done her summer homework yet.**

 **Brought to you by NLNC News, broadcasting the lives of fictional animals and places.**


	6. Chapter 5

_Moon of the Poppies - August 8, 2062 - Sunhigh_

 _ShadowClan_

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here under the Clanrock!" Eaglestar's voice rang through the clearing.

"What's going on?" Sparrowkit asked, poking her head out from the nursery.

"I think Daisypaw and Robinpaw are getting their warrior ceremonies," Jaykit observed. Rabbitkit looked over at the two apprentices. The ruddy brown tabby she-cat and the light cinnamon tabby tom both looked very well-groomed, unusual for Robinpaw.

"I think you're right."

Emberpoppy came and stood next to them. Quailcreek, Softkit and Brightkit emerged from the nursery, eyes curious before they saw the two warriors-to-be.

"I, Eaglestar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Daisypaw, Robinpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

The florid brown tabby's blue eyes were determined. "I do."

Robinpaw's hazel eyes were glinting. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Daisypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Daisyflight. StarClan honors your cleverness and speed, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan. Robinpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Robinclaw. StarClan honors your bravery and skill in battle, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan." Eaglestar rested his red muzzle on Daisyflight's head, and she licked his shoulder. He did the same with Robinclaw.

The Clan erupted into cheers. "Daisyflight! Robinclaw! Daisyflight! Robinclaw!" As Rabbitkit cheered, he noticed that Swanpaw was the one cheering the loudest, even though she was the only sibling not to get her warrior name.

 _Moon of the Poppies - August 8, 2062 - Between Sunhigh and Sundown_

 _ShadowClan_

"Frogsight! Snowpetal! Tell us a story!" Sparrowkit, Jaykit, Rabbitkit, Softkit and Brightkit all came bounding to the elders' den. Jaykit and Sparrowkit were dragging a large squirrel over to the cats.

Frogsight opened one golden eye as he heard the kits coming. Behind him, Snowpetal stretched and yawned, getting up from her nap.

"We brought you a squirrel, the juiciest one we could find!" Rabbitkit added, his blue eyes hopeful.

The brown and white tabby elder sighed and got up. "Alright, I'll tell you a story or two if you pay attention and don't interrupt." He took a bite out of the squirrel, as did Snowpetal, chewed, swallowed, and began speaking. The five kits watched with wide eyes as he spun a tale of golden words...

"Once, back in the old territory of the forest, there was a ShadowClan medicine cat called Yellowfang who fell in love with the deputy, Raggedpelt. Because their love was forbidden, Yellowfang was forced to give birth to her kits alone in the forest. She had three kits- two she-kits and a tom. One she-kit was born dead, the other died shortly after birth, and the tom was the only survivor. She came back to camp with a heavy heart, the tom-kit dangling from her jaws…"

He continued telling the kits about how Yellowfang gave him up, how he was taunted and teased, how he despised his mentor, how he killed his father to become leader, how he trained kits to be warriors, how he drove WindClan out of their territory, how he went to the Dark Forest after being blinded and killed by Yellowfang, how he trained warriors there.

How he was killed at the final battle between StarClan and the Place of No Stars by his mother, Yellowfang.

"You must always remember to uphold the warrior code and be honorable, be respectful, and be wise. Ambition is something that all ShadowClan cats have, but it is not wise to let it control you." Weary, Frogsight sat back and finished the squirrel.

It was quiet for some time as the kits took this information in. Rabbitkit shivered.

 _If I were him, I would never make the same mistakes that he did!_

 _Moon of the Poppies - August 9, 2062 - Sunrise_

 _ThunderClan_

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge!" Sagestar's yowl woke Mousekit up with a start. She groaned and stretched. Her grey eyes met Flowerkit's copper ones- they had gotten their permanent eyes half a moon before- and then she looked away. Ivykit, Weaselkit and Clovermist were gone.

"Oh!" She stood up quickly. "It's Ivykit and Weaselkit's apprentice ceremonies!"

"That is correct," Springleaf mewed. "Let us go outside to watch." She padded out, and Mousekit, Flowerkit, and a sleepy Driftkit followed her.

"...Ivykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Ivypaw. I will be your mentor." Gasps were heard through the Clan.

"Oh, great, she's going to be even more annoying," Driftkit muttered. Flowerkit and Mousekit nodded in agreement. They sullenly continued to watch.

"I will pass down all I know on to you." Sagestar touched noses with a wide-eyed Ivypaw, and ThunderClan started cheering her name.

"Ivypaw! Ivypaw!"

Sagestar waited until the cheers had died down before continuing. "Weaselkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Weaselpaw. Skyshadow will be your mentor."

There were three- well, more like two and a half- quiet groans from the remaining kits in the nursery. Springleaf turned to stare at them until they squirmed under her gaze.

"Skyshadow, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Witheredfrost, and you have shown yourself to be understanding and courageous. You will be the mentor of Weaselpaw, and I expect you to pass down all you know to him."

Skyshadow nodded, his eyes bright but saddened at the thought of his former mentor, and went to touch noses with Weaselpaw. Mousekit noted that he had been unhappy when Sagestar announced that she was going to mentor him, but he seemed to be a little happier at getting Skyshadow as his mentor.

"Ivypaw! Weaselpaw! Ivypaw! Weaselpaw!" ThunderClan cheered. Ivypaw and Weaselpaw stood proudly as their peers welcomed them. Then the cheers faded and they went off with their mentors.

Mousekit stared jealously as they left. Now that Weaselpaw had her father as a mentor, Skyshadow would be too busy with training him to come see them. She sighed, and went back into the nursery.

 _I can't wait till_ I'm _an apprentice._

* * *

 **Thank you to Flamewing the cat for reviewing, following and favoriting!**

 **Thank you to Kikyo Phantomhive for beta'ing me!**

 **Brought to you by NLNC News, broadcasting the lives of fictional animals and places.**


	7. Chapter 6

_Moon of the Daisies - September 7, 2062 - Moonhigh_

 _ShadowClan_

 _I'm-_

Rabbitkit wasn't sure how it happened.

 _I'm so-_

It was all a blur of grief and confusion and fury and _rage_ and fear, oh StarClan, the fear-

 _I'm so sor-_

 _Moon of the Daisies - September 6, 2062 - Sunhigh_

 _ShadowClan_

The three kits were huddled in a secluded corner of the nursery. Emberpoppy was outside, talking with Rubblefire, while Quailcreek was at the medicine cat den with a thorn in her paw. Softkit and Brightkit were playing with Swanbreeze, who had recently gotten her medicine cat name. The sunlight barely leaked through the brambles of the entrance.

"We should sneak out of camp at moonhigh tonight!" Rabbitkit announced in a hushed voice.

Sparrowkit's eyes widened. "Really? Why?"

"Well, we're five moons now, and we'll be apprentices in one moon! What difference does one moon make if we go out to see the territory now? I mean, one moon isn't that long and we're almost as big as the apprentices now." Jaykit and Sparrowkit were nodding. His arguments made sense.

"But won't we get caught? How are we going to get past the guards?" Jaykit asked, always the one to ask reasonable questions.

"We'll go through the dirtplace tunnel." The kits wrinkled their noses at the thought of having to go through the smelly, dirty place, but their excitement to go see the territory overruled their disgust.

"Okay!" Sparrowkit chirped. "We'll stay up until Emberpoppy and the others fall asleep, then we'll go out!"

 _Moon of the Daisies - September 6, 2062 - Between Moonrise and Moonhigh_

 _ShadowClan_

It seemed like forever before Emberpoppy's breathing slowed. Rabbitkit carefully extracted himself from his mother, freezing when he heard her breathing catch.

He waited for three long heartbeats before she relaxed. He pried himself away, and padded to the entrance to wait for his siblings.

Once Sparrowkit and Jaykit had caught up to him, he left the nursery with care and, making sure that no one was watching, bounded over to the dirtplace and slipped into the tunnel. Rabbitkit poked his head out and waited for them.

"It smells horrible," Jaykit complained softly as they padded through the tunnel. He wrinkled his nose as he stepped on something mushy and unidentified.

Rabbitkit silently agreed. Finally, they left the tunnel and he could breathe fresh air again. He took a deep breath, allowing the cool, crisp air to fill his lungs.

"I'll be smelling the dirtplace for a moon after this," Sparrowkit muttered, grimacing as she rubbed her paws against the grass to get some of the dirt off her paws.

"Come on! Let's go explore!" Rabbitkit bounded off into the pine forest, not looking back at his siblings to see if they followed or not.

The evening sky was a swirling pot of ink, dark as a crow's feather and freckled with shining, distant white spots. The half-moon hung in the sky lazily, watching the world below with a sleepy eye. Tall pine trees were streaks of black splattered against the sky, outlined with soft white light. There was a slight breeze that ruffled Rabbitkit's fur as he ran through the forest, his paws landing on soft earth littered with sharp pine needles. He could hear cicadas chirping obnoxiously, their screeching voices vibrating in his ears.

He stopped, unable to run any farther. Panting, he noticed that he was in a clearing illuminated by the moonlight. The grass was soft as moss and he could see flowers spilled here and there, red and white and yellow and blue brushes of color against the green background.

Sparrowkit caught up to him first, completely winded. Jaykit followed at a slower pace. "Wow, this place is so pretty!" The cinnamon and white kit gasped, her blue eyes glittering with the light reflected from the moon.

"When we're apprentices, we can come here and have meetings! We can make a new Clan- RabbitClan!" the tom-kit added.

Sparrowkit scoffed. "No way! It should be called SparrowClan!"

"How about NightClan?" Jaykit suggested, his tail swishing over the delicate blades of grass. "You know, since we found this place at night and it sounds properly intimidating."

Rabbitkit and Sparrowkit nodded. "I like that name!" Rabbitkit announced, eyes gleaming. "Can I be leader? Please?"

Sparrowkit sighed. "Fine, as long as I'm deputy."

"I want to be the medicine cat!" Jaykit squeaked. "I won't have a chance in ShadowClan since there's already two." He sighed.

There was a rustle in the ferns behind them.

They tensed, not daring to move. Was it a warrior, sent to retrieve them? Rabbitkit parted his jaws to taste the air- it was putrid, sour and terrible. His eyes widened and he could smell his own fear scent. He whipped around to look at it and-

The fox jumped out from the bushes just as he turned around, grabbing Jaykit and pinning his small blue body down with a giant russet paw.

"Run!" Sparrowkit screeched. Rabbitkit didn't need to be told twice. They bolted away from the clearing, white rimmed around Rabbitkit's blue eyes as he desperately willed his legs to go faster.

 _I'm sorry, Jaykit-_

He took the lead, subconsciously taking the shortest route back to ShadowClan, back to home, back to safety- back to Emberpoppy, back to the nursery, back to peaceful nights under the stars-

There was a piteous yowl that only a dying cat could make. His heart filling with dread, he looked back just in time to see the fox tearing at his sister's soft white belly, an awful, terrible ripping noise as the she-kit's screams weakened, the horrible squelching sound and the monster's russet muzzle covered with- with dark red- _blood-_

 _I'm so sorry, sister-_

He blanched and ran faster than ever, adrenaline pumping through his small body. His legs were burning, his breaths came in short gasps. As he desperately ran through the forest, his eyes stung and he felt sick to his stomach. Black spots danced in his vision- he couldn't go on for much longer- oh! The camp was just ahead- of him- just a little longer-

Rabbitkit couldn't go on anymore. He tried, he really tried, but his lungs felt like they were simmering in a pool of boiling water and he couldn't feel his legs and his heart was punching at his chest, threatening to escape- _boom, boom, boom-_ the black spots were swarming over him, a curtain of little purple-black flecks pulled over his eyes. He collapsed four fox-lengths from the camp- _how ironic_ , he thought, as he twisted his head and stared numbly into the dark, dark sky that had so entranced him just the tiniest amount of time before- and he could barely make out the gleaming spots of light before a towering figure loomed over him, and through the haze of exhaustion and fear, he managed to gather his strength to look up once more at the sky and say-

 _I'm sorry._

He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable pain that he would feel. Would his stomach be ripped out like Sparrowkit? Or would his throat be torn out? He began counting the moments to his death, hoping vainly that it would provide a distraction from the torture-

One-

A sharp, sharp claw dragged down the length of his back and he screamed and he screamed and he screamed- oh StarClan, it was playing with its prey-

Two-

He could feel the hot, sickening trickle of blood down his spine and it was a struggle not to thrash about because he knew that it would make it hurt even more. The fox pinned his back down with a colossal paw, applying pressure to his wound, its claws digging sharply into his skin. He whimpered. _Please, kill me already, please-_

Three-

Someone was yowling. It took a while for Rabbitkit to realize that it wasn't him. The pressure was suddenly lifted and he could hear sounds of a scuffle. Not daring to open his eyes, he continued to count.

Four-?

Five-

Six…

Seven.

Lifting one eyelid cautiously, Rabbitkit first saw the sharp pine needles before him. He tried to stand but fell over immediately, a cloud of dots descending over his eyes. Feeling dizzy and nauseous, he stayed still, trying to block out the pain and the reality of what had happened.

"Rabbitkit." It sounded far-away and soft but loud at the same time. Turning his head, he looked up to see two glinting eyes and a red pelt. He took in a deep breath.

"Eaglestar."

"Sleep. You need your rest." And since this was the leader of ShadowClan, the most respected cat that every kit looked up to, Rabbitkit relented and allowed the wispy tendrils of dream-land to swirl over his consciousness as Eaglestar gently picked him up and carried him back to camp.

* * *

 **Thank you to Aspentail for following, favoriting and reviewing!**

 **Thank you to Kikyo Phantomhive for beta'ing!**

 **Brought to you by NLNC NOBODY News, broadcasting the lives of fictional animals and places.**


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